The best time to negotiate is end of the month. I don't mean like two weeks before. I mean like the 30th or 31st. Sales managers are usually willing to take a lower amount because they have to "get stuff out the door" to make their bonus.

Get 'em when they're desperate to move product, and you may be more likely to see the price move in your favor as well.

A Salesman Tells How to Negotiate for the Best Price on Electronics [Free Money Finance] (Photo: FredoAlvarez)

A posting on the internal Circuit City forums from an irate store manager upset over having to shrug his shoulders in response to a customer who had a $2,500 CC refund check bounce elicited this response from the CC accounting team:

Due to the Ch 11 filing, the bank had to put a stop on all checks that had not been deposited. We WILL be reissuing all bounced checks. I don't have an exact date to tell you, but we intend to make good on every single mail refund that bounced.

Adjust your spreadsheets accordingly.

As I was getting into my car to go to work a Fed Ex Express van pulled up behind me. It was my replacement Jawbone from Aliph. I definitely wasn't expecting it to be overnighted to me.

I opened the box and inside with the brand new Jawbone was a hand written note from Lindsey Cromwell who is Richard's executive assistant. Also include were 2 Jawbone car chargers and 2 sets of their new earbuds which was another unexpected surprise.

This was a great customer service experience!

Excellent. Horrible problem reported Monday night, no-questions replacement + personalized prizepack received Wednesday morning, going from Jawbone melting to jaw-droppingly good customer service. You just earned yourselves a place in the "Above and Beyond" hall of fame!

PREVIOUSLY: My Jawbone Melted

Smoke began pouring out of Marc's Jawbone cellphone headset last night:

I purchased a new Aliph Jawbone 2 directly from Aliph back in July. I owned an original Jawbone and was happy to see it shrink in size. It's been working extremely well and I haven't had any issues with it...until last night.

I connected my charger to a USB port on my computer and I charged my headset like I have any other time. I was on my computer doing some web surfing when I noticed a burning smell. I look over at my headset and saw smoke coming out of it.

I immediately disconnected it from the charger but the smoke kept coming. I noticed that it was also getting hotter. I didn't want it to burst into flames so I ran into the bathroom and ran it under the faucet. I've attached some photos showing what ended up happening to the headset.

I contacted Aliph support and was told that since it's not a technical issue that they could fix (really?) that my issue would be forwarded to a specialist. I'm still waiting to get a call back and will update once I do.

Must have been one too many steamy calls on the $.99 per minute lines.

Your Mail in Rebate May Be In Jeopardy [[H]]Enthusiast] (Thanks to xskeweredx!)

Circuit City, Electronics Retailer, Seeks Bankruptcy [Bloomberg] (Thanks to Ken!)
Circuit City Stores, Inc. to Reorganize Under Chapter 11 [Press Release] (Photo: corsec67)

If an item does not have a price tag, don't buy it. You more than likely won't be getting much of a discount, you may actually be paying more than normal for it. The way Circuit Citys price tag system works is basically all the tags should be pretty much the same in every store.

So if the liquidator wants the price to be higher, they can't print a tag (easily at least). So basically what they do is just not put a tag on it, raise the price, then give you the 10-30% discount. So really the customer is just paying normal or higher prices. They suspect it to be like that for a while depending on how fast they sell through inventory. If they aren't selling through product, then they should start giving real discounts.

If there's a high dollar product you want, I would just keep checking back every day or so because of the limited inventory, until you can get the best price possible.

With "Few Deals To Be Had At Circuit City Liquidation Sales", and a number of the items available online for the same price, savvy dealseekers need to go into the 155 closing Circuit Citys cautiously and armed with price research about the goods they want to buy.

(Photo: Xurble)

Breaking News [Circuit City] (Thanks to Cheviot!) (Photo: adria.richards)

Good morning:

Each of you may have been receiving emails from anonymous individuals identifying his/herself as Wilt Chamberlain, Double Agent, Geek Squad, Agent Agent or Magic Johnson. These emails from an anonymous sender(s) are asking you to ‘unite’, directing you to the Communication Workers of America (CWA), directing you to a Forum and soliciting signatures on a petition for legislation called the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA).

http://www.cwa-union.org/
http://tellthem.forumotion.net/
http://www.freechoiceact.org

First, none of the emails are being generated by the company or by a manager.

We have been having meetings with you, asking everyone to voice their opinions and asking everyone to help solve the problems we collectively face in tough economic times. Your input is important. We do not solicit input anonymously.

Each of you was selected because of your professional experience, attitude and skills. Every single member of the Geek Squad should be proud of your personal contribution to the accomplishments of the team. You have each helped establish a brand that millions of people recognize and respect.

Economic times are tough right now.

Modifications are needed to get through this difficult time. This is happening in every company in America. Today, we are in a lot stronger position than most companies.. Economic times fluctuate. Decisions have to be made in both good times and in tough times. We always want your input. We want to hear your voice, your concerns and want to make changes in a respectful manner. We want to continue to work with you directly so that questions can be answered and so that misunderstandings can be addressed without filters. And we also recognize that as a management team we sometimes fail to follow the best processes – never intentionally - but your direct feedback and input helps all of us learn to be better in the future in service of our employee and customer.

One email suggested that Best Buy is afraid of Unions.

We are not afraid – We are concerned.

We are concerned about being able to talk with you directly.

We are concerned about being able to continue to get your feedback, input and suggestions in an open forum.

We are concerned that a union could result in a lack of flexibility to address market conditions, customer desires and your own desires and needs.

To whoever is using the name of the great Wilt Chamberlain.

Over the last thirty years, union membership has dropped from 35% of total workers to just over 7% of the private sector. Did you ever ask yourself why any business loses market share? In one email the CWA is mentioned. To find out more about the CWA, take the time to search around the links at http://unionfacts.com/unions/unionProfile.cfm?id=188

THE EMPLOYEE FREE CHOICE ACT

One anonymous email asks you to sign a petition supporting EFCA.

First, opinions on political issues and candidates are personal issues, and we believe that each individual’s opinion needs to be respected. This is one of the strengths of our company, and a basic tenet of democracy.

We are concerned about the EFCA because it will infringe on an individual’s right to express their opinion in a secret ballot government conducted election.

Under this legislation, employees do not get to vote in a secret ballot election but rather if a union gets 50%+1 of the employees to sign a union authorization card all 100% are considered unionized – without a vote. In fact, 49% + X may not even have a voice in the decision or process. And it is possible that any union authorization cards signed today may be held by a union and count as a ‘yes’ vote if the law changes. People may be stripped of their right to vote “no” after signing a card today.

We are also concerned that employees may lose their voice in the workplace under this legislation. Under current law, a company and union negotiate a contract to completion and then the employees get to vote yes or no on accepting the terms and conditions of the contract. Under this proposed legislation, the company and union are to negotiate for a specified time period and if an agreement is not reached, a federal arbitrator will decide the content of the contract. The employees get no say. That denies employees the right to vote on accepting or rejecting the contract.

We are also, concerned that EFCA may have a negative impact on Best Buy’s business model. Our business model works because we can deal directly with our employees and react quickly to changing business needs. The introduction of a third party into that relationship, may limit our ability to serve our customers in the way that we do now.

We encourage each of you to learn as much as you can about EFCA, and to form your own opinion about whether or not you believe it is something that is in the best interest of our brand and our company.

You can also express your opinion, whatever it may be, to the anonymous email authors.

If you disagree with the anonymous senders, it is your decision and you can show your disagreement in any lawful manner including responding to the emails of the anonymous senders. If you agree with the anonymous senders, it is your decision and you can show your support in any lawful manner.. It is your choice.

Let me say that we are not afraid of unions at Best Buy. We truly believe that union representation is not in the best interests of the company, our customers or our employees. If you have any issues, concerns or ideas please do not hesitate to talk to your immediate supervisor or reach out to me.

In closing, let me say that we are betting the farm on our employees. What we are concerned about is putting something or someone between our employees and their supervisors that eliminates transparency, honesty and our ability to win with our customers by creating a world class experience for each of our employees. Feel free to reach out share your thoughts, ideas or concerns to me at anytime. You can contact me at Christian.Babb@BestBuy.com.

Thank you,

Chris Babb

(Photo: ob1left)

• Lenovo: Employee Pricing on ThinkPad and IdeaPad Notebooks, up to 42% off (login with passcode 536686)
• Woot: Sandisk Clip 2GB MP3 Player for $19.99
• Newegg: ESET NOD32 Antivirus Home Edition v3 for $14.99 (Best antivirus around, won't slow down your computer)

• Buy.com: Kingston 4GB USB 2.0 Portable Flash Drive $14 Shipped
• Hanes.com: Save 15% off Complete Order on All Clothing
• Vann's: Sony FX820 Portable 8-inch DVD Player $150 Shipped

• Amazon: Kitchen & Home Labor Day Sale: Save up to 65%
• Linens 'n Things: BOGO 50% off bath furniture, more + 20% off coupon
• American Eagle: 40% off purchases coupon

Just tell them that ASUS voided your warranty, they didn't honor your warranty. They made you run around in circles to get an RMA, then simply shipped you the device back unfixed. That will be enough.

In the letter that follows, Mike makes it clear that he would rather ASUS pay for it, rather than any of the transaction partners, to teach the computer-maker a lesson. If ASUS was an entity capable of learning, they probably wouldn't have done this to you in the first place. As savvy consumers involved in a transaction dispute, it's important to stay rational and focused on the bottom line: getting what you paid for, in the form of a refund or a replacement, the quickest way possible. Getting what you deserve without wasting any more of your time is the best revenge possible.

So, definitely give your credit card company a call and ask them. You've spent this much time working on it, one phone call can't hurt, and it has a high likelihood of fixing your problem outright!

Here's Mike's followup letter:

I just wanted to reply to let you know that I REALLY appreciate your
time you took to respond and look up some info for me.

I called Amazon and they can only give me a refund within 30 days (I haven't tried their ECS yet, I might at some point but really Asus is the problem, not Amazon). My credit card has an extended warranty but since it is still in warranty with Asus, that can't help. However I am also out of the 3 month period in which I can dispute it via phone apparently, and I have to write to them to perform a dispute. This is not a terrible option but I am always worried in these cases that my credit card might eat the cost which isn't what I want at all; I like my credit card company and don't want them to pay for my misfortunes if they haven't done anything wrong, and I DO want Asus to be the one paying.

I copied you on my email to Eric Chen (the address you provided me with), and if that doesn't go anywhere I am wondering if my next best step isn't small claims court. I saw Suing Big Companies In Small Claims Court Is Fun And Easy and the linked article, and it sounds like a decent option which would allow me to sue for the price of my non-working laptop and the shipping back to them, plus a small reasonable amount for all my time as well.

The only thing I have to figure out is what would or would not make Asus a business/corporate/sueable entity in New York or my specific region, to ensure I can proceed. I imagine a clerk can help me with this. Sounds like if I don't hear back from Eric I have a trip to court to make!

We asked ASUS whether Mike's experience was standard practice or if their warranty department is experiencing some kind of malfunction, and await their response.

PREVIOUSLY: EEEPC Return A Recursive Hellhole

(Photo: Getty)

UPDATE: 9/02/08 Mike says Asus' RMA department contacted him and is Fedexing him a return label. He writes, "Let's hope it comes back working this time. If not I guess I'll see what MasterCard has to say."

Newegg's official statement:

Earlier this year, New York State passed a law which potentially forces non-New York State internet retailers to collect and remit New York State sales tax if the retailer’s marketing affiliates engage in certain marketing activities targeted at New York residents.

In response to this law, on June 1, 2008 Newegg.com (“Newegg”) began collecting sales tax on its sales to New York State residents.

Since then, New York State tax authorities have issued additional guidance as to the circumstances in which internet retailers would be required to collect sales tax. Based on this guidance, Newegg has restructured its affiliate marketing program in an effort to ensure that Newegg is not presumed under New York State law to have to collect sales tax.

What this means to our New York State customers is that, effective 12:00 a.m. Eastern Time on August 21, 2008, Newegg will no longer charge sales tax on its sales to you. However, please be aware that you may still have an obligation to pay New York use tax on your purchases. (Use taxes are not charged or collected by Newegg but are paid directly by purchasers to the appropriate taxing authority.) Newegg cannot offer you any tax advice, so if you have any questions about whether you have to pay use tax, please consult an appropriate tax professional.

Disclaimer: Nothing in this email shall be deemed an admission that Newegg has ever been legally required to collect and remit New York State sales tax on its sales to residents of that state. Newegg continues to challenge the validity of section 1101(b) (8) (vi) of the New York State Tax Law.

Newegg stop collecting sales tax: Additional Details [Schiffner]

PREVIOUSLY: Hooray! Newegg Stops Collecting New York Sales Tax
(Photo: Matt & The Camera)

carolina.madden@bestbuy.com
(612) 292-0076

(Photo: Meghann Marco)

Dear Sarah X XXXXXXXX

RE: Amazon order #XXX-XXXXXXX-XXXXXXX
Invoice #XXXXXXX
Item title: SAM M300... Car Charger

Thank you for your recent purchase with Eforcity on Amazon.com.

We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. We would like to offer you a refund, if the negative feedback is removed.

Please reply to this email directly and let us know. As soon as the feedback is removed, we will go ahead and process a refund.

Please follow the below instructions to remove feedback on Amazon:

1. Go to http://www.amazon.com/your-account.
2. Find the pull-down menu next to View by Order. Select ORDERS PLACED IN THE LAST 6 MONTHS, and hit the GO button.
3. After you sign in, you'll find a listing of your recent orders. Select the relevant order and click the VIEW ORDER button.
4. You will find a feedback section 2/3rds of the way down the page. To remove feedback, click on the REMOVE link in the feedback section of the order summary.
5. You may only remove feedback if it is 60 days or less since you left the feedback.

We appreciate your business, and again would like to extend our sincere apology. Please feel free to let us know how we may further assist you with your order.

Sincerely,

Salina

Customer Service Team

Getting good service shouldn't be contingent on the customer taking down reports of a product that doesn't work. This kind of quid pro quo approach to customer service is dishonest and shameful.

• Take the place of an airline boarding pass.
• Contain personal information about the traveler.
• Be able to monitor the whereabouts of each passenger and his/her luggage.
• Shock the wearer on command, completely immobilizing him/her for several minutes.

Lamperd Less Lethal—oddly, that name doesn't make us confident about either the effectiveness or the safety of their products—has an entertaining instructional video on their site that explains why this is such a great idea. It opens with footage of the planes hitting the WTC towers, just in case you've forgotten, then describes how all the current solutions are ineffective—biometrics can't spot "new" terrorists who aren't in the database, Air Marshalls can inflict friendly fire on nearby passengers, etc. But they've got an answer in the EMD Safety Bracelet! Check out these handy graphics if you don't believe them:

Okay, we doctored that last one, but you know there'd be a technical glitch at some point that turns everyone on the manifest into a herky-jerky bag of twitching muscles. Pretzels everywhere! Plastic drink cups flying! You have to admit, it'd be funny to see (so long as your own EMD Safety Bracelet didn't go off at the same time.)

Lamperd Less Lethal insists that this is a great idea, and that passengers won't mind being figuratively collared like slaves out of a bad sci-fi movie:

Wearing an EMD safety bracelet for a few hours during a flight is a small inconvenience to ensure their safe arrival...many if not most passengers would happily opt for the extra security of the EMD safety bracelet.

We'll admit, it would certainly make it easier for flight attendants to take care of drunks, fashion victims, unruly children, and the occasional masturbator. But if DHS wants to take security this far, why not just anesthetize passengers and load us up on gurneys, where we'll remain blissfully unconscious as we're shipped like freight across the globe? It would be more dignified than wearing a stun bracelet.

"Want some torture with your peanuts?" [Washington Times] (Thanks to Capt Janeway!)
EMD Safety Bracelet video [Lamperd Less Lethal]

Avid tech consumers were also likely to be low in modesty and may be perceived as conceited or arrogant by others.

Low levels of modesty also correlate with what Welch calls "badge-buying", or a tendency to buy luxury brands. "So there's an element of pride in being able to have the latest and greatest, not just in the realm of technology, but in all other areas."

The researcher behind the study said it could have implications for technology companies looking to attract new consumers. Coming soon: a gadget with the tagline, "You're better than everyone else. Now prove it."

"Gadget buyers more assertive, even arrogant" [Reuters via ZDNet]
(Photo: Getty)

Sharper Image is closing for good starting today and everything at their remaining 86 is on sale from 20-40%. Fine purveyors of vibrating massage chairs and miniature plastic pinball tables, the liquidation is being handled by Gordon Brothers Retail Partners. These are the same guys who did the CompUSA fire sales, so expect similar awesomeness, like marking up merchandise 50%, then taking 20-40% off that...Farewell, Sharper Image, now men will have to find some other place to play while their female halves are in Victoria's Secret.

Sharper Image® Store Closing Sale Now Underway at All Locations [Press Release] (Thanks to Justin!)

Officially the calculator is part of a for-profit that lets you purchase carbon offset credits, but we remain skeptical of the idea that you can buy your way free from carbon emissions. What it could be useful for, though, is comparing different airlines to see which one comes in with the lowest score, and then factoring that into your next travel booking.

"New emissions calculator reveals true cost of your flight" [Elliott.org]

The press release did not mention if customer service reps will be getting paid more, which we think is a key factor in attracting and retaining quality personnel.

I'm one of those consumers who always seems to end up with defective big ticket items. I've had a laptop, HDTV and Xbox360 all die just after a year of the initial purchase. Thanks to Product Service Plans and Extended Warranties I got all three items replaced which saved me close to $2,500.

While prepping to buy an iPod Touch I decided to read through Best Buy's Product Service Plan again to make sure I understood how it worked. The following two sections caught my attention immediately.

Coverage under this Plan expires one (1), two (2), three (3), four (4) or five (5) years from the original product purchase date as stated on your purchase receipt.
[...]
Manufacturer's Responsibilities: Parts and services covered during the manufacturer's warranty period are the responsibility of the manufacturer and not covered under this Plan.

In the past I've been lucky (lucky?) enough to have the item die just after the manufacturer's warranty ended. I had assumed that buying a two year service plan from Best Buy would have guaranteed me two more years of service - turns out that's not true.

When Best Buy sells a 2 Year Product Service Plan it starts immediately and runs concurrently with the existing manufacturers warranty. I would call it double coverage on the product except for that second section.

I spoke to the folks at my local Best Buy (I'm lucky enough to live near a BB where the folks know the system pretty well) and they confirmed it to me - even though they call it a two year service plan they really only cover the second year of service because the manufacturer is responsible for the first year.

Is it me or is this clearly deceptive? When you walk into a Best Buy and purchase a 2 year Product Service Plan (which they regularly call an "Extended Warranty" at checkout) you expect it to kick in after the manufacturer's warranty ... right?

ROBERT: Thank you for choosing _ my name is Robert, what can I do for you today?

CUSTOMER: Yeah, I'm calling about the computer that's on sale for 999 on a flyer that came in the newspaper.

ROBERT: Mhmm.

CUSTOMER: And I would like to order that one.

ROBERT: Ok, let me confirm everything with you. We have a Paintingum 4 processor, 520 with h2 terminal 2.8 gigahertz, DVD player in the first bay and a free CD boner in the second bay... no floppy drive. You wanna add a 3 and half floppy drive?

CUSTOMER: Will this not do a disk? If I want it to put something on a desk will this not do it?

ROBERT: Yeah actually we recommend you the floppy because it's only thirty dollars. Three zero.

CUSTOMER: Oh, okay, no I don't want that.

ROBERT: Ok, are you sure you want to do that? Because the future is gonna cost more money. K, uh, no speakers.

CUSTOMER: Speakers don't come with it?

ROBERT: No sir. It's not on the flyer.

CUSTOMER: Hmm. Ok, well let me read it a little bit better and I'll call back.

ROBERT: Why? You have the flyer in front of you?

CUSTOMER: Yes.

ROBERT: Then why you call me back, it's bad for me, you call me again again again, and it's only gonna be back.

CUSTOMER: I didn't realize it didn't have speakers and I don't want to have to order speakers for this price, so I'll just look somewhere else and find me another computer.

ROBERT: Oyyyyyyeeeee. I can't believable. Like a little girl. I can believable. Only for speakers. Go ahead, little girl. Little pussy girl. Get out of here. Get out of here. Get out of here.

CUSTOMER: Lemmie lemmie lemmie talk to your manager.

ROBERT: Little girl. Little girrrrrrlll. You a little girl little girl little girl little girl little girl little girl.

CUSTOMER: Are you going to let me talk to your manager?

ROBERT: Nyeh nyeh nyeh nyeh nyehhhhhhhhh. Little baby girrllllllll. Little hooo-ker. Nyeh nyeh nyeh nyeh nyeh.

You'd list an object that you want to own—but for only a short time. Other people sign up, too, so that a chain of purchasing is set up in advance.

You buy the thing at full price. When you're finished with it, maybe a couple of weeks later, the next guy buys it from you for 85 percent of the original price. Then he sells it to the third guy for 85 percent of that. And so on, until the last guy gets the hand-me-down Pleo for, say, $25. Everybody's happy, and there's not a bunch of closeted Pleos all over America.

Think eBay without the uncertainty; the chain of ownership is pre-established, and your little group feels the bond of kinship and shared experience, like a book club.

Microsoft's Zune actually came in second place, but when you compare price and battery life, the Sansa View is the better value.

• Apple iPod Touch - great sound and interface
• Microsoft Zune - great sound, great UI but hypersensitive
• SanDisk Sansa View - half the price of the Touch, navigation mimics traditional iPods, great sound
• Creative Zen - large screen but requires too much button mashing
• Samsung P2 - touchscreen is "finicky", sound is "flat"

It's a cool concept, but the current execution is only appealing if you don't want to deal with Ebay or Craigslist, or if you don't care as much about maximum resell value as you care about getting it out of your home with minimal work on your part. As part of TechForward's fee, they pay for packaging and shipping, and although they won't pay you for a broken device they'll still accept it.

NEW Corp., the company "that runs the extended warranty programs for Best Buy Inc. and Wal-Mart Stores Inc.," is launching a similar program called econoNEW. It won't charge up front for the service, and will negotiate a buyback price at the time you bring in the gadget. Additionally, instead of cash ecoNEW will offer store credit. NEW hasn't named which retailers will be participating yet.

"A New "Guaranteed Buyback" Program Gives Consumer's Cash Back Upon Trade-In of Used Gadgets - Good Deal or Not?" [InventorSpot]
"Companies Launch Gadget Buyback Services" [Associated Press]

RELATED
www.techforward.com
(Photo: Getty)

For one thing, high definition movies, for now, are not being made available on iTunes and can only be rented through the AppleTV. Rented HD movies cannot be synced back to iTunes or otherwise exported to your iPod or iPhone. So, if you think your $5 rental cost is going to get you a high definition movie that you can take with you as well as a copy that you can view at home, think again.

High definition content on the Apple TV will only be available in 720p resolution, if those things matter to you. Surround sound will be on some, but not all, HD movies. This situation will probably improve over time. At present, none of the television content is offered in high definition.

It's harder to reason out what the Air is worth, but Make Your Nut points out that for $200 more you can buy a not-much-larger MacBook Pro with lots more features. (Or buy a tiny and light Eee for $400 and save yourself a lot of money and room in your laptop bag—I'm just sayin'.)

"Your Personal Finance Guide to the Macworld Product Reveals" [Make Your Nut]
(Gold in photo: Getty)

I bought a Seagate FreeAgent Pro 750GB external harddrive about two or three months ago, and backed up several harddrives to it. Everything was going awesome on every computer I had, but then it had an issue on my desktop. "Delayed Write Failure" WHAT? I try to read the information on the drive, it won't allow me.

I restart, can use it for a bit more, and then again...same Delayed Write Failure. So I google "freeagent delayed write failure"...and low and behold SEVERAL people are having the same issue with this same drive for this same reason. I searched fixes throughout the web (including their own forums)...attempted all of the fixes...none of which fixed my problem.

I call Tier 1 CSR's in lovely India, who tell me my drive is dead. I then use the online CSR chat...but I'm of no use to him because I wasn't physically in front of the computer in question.

Later that night I posted on the Seagate forums...and something snapped. I went to the Investor page of Seagate, found the Seagate email formatting, and posted the email addresses of about 20 executives in my post. That post was removed about 2 hours later...

However, later that day I got a call from an AWESOME Tier 3 CSR (name redacted for his protection, at his request) who stayed on the phone with me for 40 minutes. Low and behold the problem was a small string in my computer's registry, and he told me that this is the normal issue with these drives when that error shows up, but he legally cant say that when people call customer service, because the registry is Microsoft's software. So I have the fix, I'm now posting it to the Seagate Forums (he can't tell people, but I can), and I am happy once again.

I'd probably suggest people call executive customer service, but feel free to go the email bomb route when you've hit peak frustration.

In a quiet, nearly empty conference room on the other side of the city from the 140,000 enthusiasts cramming the Las Vegas Convention Center, a roomful of wet blankets was discussing a dirty little secret of the high-tech industry, a small sacrilege during this annual celebration of all things geek.

Sure, all these gadgets are cool, but do they work? If past history is any indication, often, they often won't. Here's that dirty little secret, unearthed by the group of consultants from Accenture: Product returns cost the tech industry $14 billion each year, a huge chunk for a $200 billion business. The Accenture group will be releasing a study on gadget product returns later this week, but I got an early peek. Their main finding is this: Consumers often can't figure out how to use many of the gadgets they buy, and a sizable portion of those gadgets end up right back at the store.

"Customers believe that the product doesn't work or does not perform as expected," said Allen Delattre, who runs the electronics research group at Accenture. "But almost none of (the products) have a hardware or software defect. The returns are happening because people can't figure out how to make things work."

Here's the question. If you cellphone won't work with your car's bluetooth system... do you call BMW or Apple? Or AT&T?

CES: BUT WILL THESE THINGS WORK? [Red Tape Chronicles]

(Photo:decaf)

"Home Sweet Gadget: How Our Technolust Helped Bring Down the Housing Market" [Wired]
(Photo: Getty)

If you're willing to commit to one format or the other (although we keep saying don't!), Amazon is now selling both Blu-ray and HD-DVD players for $300 or less, with special offers that let you add 5 to 10 movies for free.

"The Best Gadgets of 2006" [Slate]
(Photo: unblessed_scalar)

For cellphones:

As for features, you'll have a tough time finding a basic phone that doesn't have at least a color screen and a camera. If you're determined to keep it simple, don't buy a phone that is pared down beyond that point, warns Gartenberg. Manufacturers and carriers both know that added features pay the bills, so they don't invest much money in the design or quality of their most basic phones.

If you want to record your baby's first steps with a brand new digital camcorder, don't waste your money on high-definition versions, advises Brian Cooley, editor at large for electronics review site CNET. "The prices are high. They tend to struggle more to get a good image. Plus, the video is dicey to edit," he says. It doesn't help that most HD camcorders are compatible with either Blu-ray or HD DVD standards, but not both. That could make for a pricey — and quickly obsolete — investment should you buy the standard that goes the way of Betamax.

"High-Tech Features You Can Do Without" [SmartMoney]

Sales will be held over the holidays to try to offload inventory. Wonder if the deals will be just as crappy as when CompUSA did the liquidation dance earlier this year.

CompUSA to close all of its 103 stores [AP] (Thanks to Doug!)
(Photo: Tyler Durden's Imaginary Friend)

Consider a warranty or service plan if:

• 1. You're not tech savvy
• 2.You're clumsy
• 3. You use the device or product above whatever's considered "normal" use
• 4. Your gadget is cutting edge, refurbished, or expensive
• 5. The device is known to be problematic (their example: rear-projection TVs, which are three times more likely to require repairs than other types of sets)

"When Buying a Warranty Makes Sense" [SmartMoney]
(Photo: Getty)